The Duchess Remembers

by Monroe, Jennifer

  Lucy gave him a quizzical look. “Do you plan to buy meat?” she asked, surprised that he would even consider doing such a thing.

  He laughed. “No, I do not wish to purchase meat,” he replied in an amused tone. “We own this shop.”

  Lucy’s eyes widened. She had not considered the expanse of Andrew’s empire, but the words ‘we own it’ piqued her interest; he had included her in this ownership. “I would like nothing more,” she replied with a smile.

  A tiny bell jingled above the door as they entered, and several people smiled at Andrew’s entrance. A burly man with a balding head brought what looked like a small hatchet down on a flank of beef while a younger man served the customers.

  “Your Grace,” the larger man said with a smile as he wiped his hands on his already bloodied apron. “And Your Grace,” he added with an awkward bow when he saw Lucy. “It is good to see you up and about.”

  Lucy stared at the man. It was clear that Andrew made regular visits to the shop, for people knew him quite well, and Lucy found this unusual to say the least. “Thank you,” she replied politely.

  “Lucy, this is Samuel Elkins, the finest butcher in all the land,” Andrew said with a smile. “So, tell me, Samuel, what are the prospects for venison this season?”

  Samuel gave Andrew a confused look. “Venison, Your Grace?” he asked. “Last time we talked about that, you said…”

  “Yes, venison,” Andrew said firmly. “Surely we can talk about that.” Then he moved to stand in front of the man, pushing Lucy a step back in the process.

  How rude, Lucy thought. She was no fool, and when Andrew began to speak to the man in muted whispers, she felt her anger grow. She looked around at the customers waiting in line and could feel her face flush as they avoided her eyes. How dare he offer to spend the day with her only to put his back to her in order to engage in conversation with a butcher!

  As the two men continued their conversation, Lucy walked to the shop window to look out at the street. She watched the many people walking by and admired the many new fashions they wore. One woman had a wonderful dotted lilac dress with white lace around the hem of the skirts and matching ribbon on her hat. Another wore a white muslin with yellow tambour work peeking out from under her cloak. How she adored them all.

  She glanced back at Andrew and the butcher. They were still deep in discussion and still using low voices, and Lucy was becoming quite bored. Did Andrew not have time to discuss business when she was at home? This was not the best use of the time they had together, and she wondered at his lack of attention to her.

  It seemed like ages before Andrew completed whatever business he had and finally walked over to her. “I apologize for making you wait,” he said. “I tend to get caught up in conversation.” He had a strange smile on his face and she wondered at his odd behavior. “Shall we be on our way?”

  She bit her tongue to keep back a retort and nodded. They walked down the footpath, and Lucy could not help but grow more irritated. His actions this day seemed contradictory to the sweet talk of courting her and his proclamation of love of the previous day, and Lucy began to recognize the rogue he had once been. She had suspected from the beginning that his cries of affection and his polite mannerisms had been a ruse, and now she was certain it was so. Perhaps it was all a means to get into her bed, but whatever his reasons, she could see right through his facade.

  “Ah, this cobbler rents his shop from us,” Andrew said proudly. “Let us stop in and say hello.”

  Lucy said nothing. In all honesty, she did not wish to stop and greet the cobbler. It was not that she wanted to be rude, but Andrew seemed to be going out of his way to be rude and avoid spending time with her. And when he turned his back to her once again to converse with the cobbler, she knew she would not be able to suffer his behavior for much longer. What she truly wished for at this very moment was for this day to come to an end.

  ***

  Not only had they visited the cobbler, they also visited a shop that sold tobacco—not that Andrew smoked a pipe, but apparently the shop was rented by the shop owner just as the cobbler rented his shop from Andrew—, and a tailor because Andrew wished to purchase a new coat and inquired about prices.

  By the time they left the tailor, Lucy’s stomach was aching and, much to her embarrassment, rumbling, only increasing her temper even more.

  “Now, if we might stop by…” Andrew started to say before Lucy cut him off when she saw a dressmaker’s shop that specialized in women’s undergarments.

  Perfect, she thought. She gave him the most theatrical smile she could force and said, “Would you mind very much if I stop here for a moment?” she asked in a sweet voice. “I would like to inquire about a new corset.”

  “Very well,” he said with a pleasant smile. “I will wait here for you.”

  This was exactly what she had hoped. Few, if any, men entered such a shop. If they did, they left rather quickly when the women gave such glares they might as well have thrown a few teacups at them.

  “I should not be long,” she said as she opened the door and entered the shop. Once inside, she let out a heavy sigh and reveled in the quiet atmosphere. It was so nice to only hear the voices of a few women and not the constant chatter of men and their business dealings. In reality, she did not need a new corset, nor did she plan to purchase one. However, she needed a place in which she could make her escape, to get as far away from Andrew as she could. He was a bore and a rogue, and this ‘outing’ as he had called it had turned into nothing more than an utter disappointment. If this was anything like their first outing together, it was a wonder she had accepted his hand in marriage at all.

  Once again, she began to wonder at the motivation behind this marriage. How could she have ever agreed to marry a man so self-absorbed, so egotistical? It had never been in her nature to be interested in such a man, and his actions this day only reminded her why she had despised him when she last saw him at Louise’s engagement party. Granted, she had enjoyed his kiss, but that did not mean she wished to spend the rest of her life with him.

  “May I help you?” asked a woman with bright red hair and a friendly smile.

  “Would it be possible,” Lucy asked, “to leave by way of your back entrance? I am afraid an old acquaintance is out front and I would prefer to not be rude and ignore her. You see, she was caught with a man who was not her husband, and I do not wish to be seen with her.”

  The woman smiled and leaned in, her voice a soft whisper. “Say no more,” she replied. “I know all too well how difficult it can be. Follow me.”

  Lucy followed the woman through the shop and through a door which led to a large backroom. The shopkeeper opened a small wooden door. “Here you are.”

  Lucy smiled. “Thank you very much,” she said. “And I will return very soon; I will be needing a new corset and a pair of bloomers, perhaps two.”

  This made the woman’s smile broaden. “You are most welcome.”

  Lucy walked to the edge of the small alleyway behind the shop and peeked around the corner. Andrew had disappeared from sight, and Lucy heaved a sigh of relief. There was so much she wanted to do while she was in town, and following Andrew around from shop to shop was not one of them. Instead, she considered which shops she would prefer and whether or not they would allow her to order any items on credit. She would give them Andrew’s name; it would only serve him right for how he had treated her.

  Chapter Twelve

  Andrew watched with interest, and added a sigh of relief, as Lucy entered the dressmaker’s shop. He wiped the sweat from his brow, which had not been caused by the heat of the day but rather by the charade he had enacted this morning. It was when they entered the butcher’s when he had an epiphany of sorts. On their first outing together, Lucy’s friend Charlotte in attendance as Lucy’s companion, they had stopped at the same butcher’s, and just as today, Andrew had spent much of their time there in conversation with the butcher and ignored the woman at his side. At the time,
he had not cared that he had been so rude, for that was the old Andrew.

  This time, however, he had engaged the proprietor for the sole purpose of reenacting the exact scenario from that first outing. What he found intriguing was that Lucy had reacted in precisely the same manner she had that first time, even so far as going to the window while she waited, and just as impatiently.

  His plan was uncomplicated, though he knew it was risky; however, it was a risk he was willing to take. Simply put, if Lucy was the same person she was nearly two years earlier, then Andrew would become who he had been, as well. He would take her along to the same places, duplicate the situations as much as he could through similar conversations, actions and settings, therefore triggering her memory and filling in the missing pieces of the puzzle.

  He nodded at a man who walked past him, turned his back to the shop and took a few steps away, pretending to be looking at something down the street. His heart raced as he worried that perhaps he had upset her more than he intended, though this time, he was not worried about winning her hand, for her hand was already his. No, this time his concern was for winning her heart. If that meant resorting to his old, obnoxious, self-centered and rude ways, then so be it, for that had been the person he was when they first began courting. Lucy, however, had somehow helped him break down those walls, had seen past his faults, and still had fallen in love with him. He had to steel himself for the old anger she would exhibit, but he was willing to take that chance if it meant returning her to the woman she had become when they finally wed.

  A sound behind him made him glance over his shoulder. He smiled as he watched the woman he loved, or the woman he had courted, entering the exact same shop she had stormed off to during that initial outing together. An eerie feeling tickled the back of his neck at how similar her reactions were from that previous time together.

  With determination, he made his way down the footpath, hoping his suspicions had been correct. Turning right, he headed down a narrow alleyway, a thin dog passing him with its tail wagging. As he peeked over a wall, he smiled. There was Lucy, exiting the door at the back of the shop, just as she had done before. She appeared overjoyed at her apparent escape, for when he stepped around the wall to stand before her, she did not immediately notice him.

  “Lucy?” he said in a quiet voice. “Where are you going?”

  She let out a shriek and drew her hand to her chest. “You scared me,” she gasped.

  “I apologize,” he replied, but in a tone that said he did not truly feel sorry for having startled her. “Why did you not use the front entrance?”

  She stood staring at him, and if Andrew could see inside her head, he swore he would have seen tiny gears working hard to come up with an excuse for her actions; just as she had done before. “I-I saw a woman I did not wish to speak to, so I was using the back entrance to leave so I could walk around to the front of the shop to find you.” She spoke with her chin raised defiantly, and Andrew welcomed it. She was exactly how he remembered her.

  “Very well,” Andrew replied. “Come, let us return home. I am famished and all this joy of courting you has stirred my hunger.” He offered her a smile, which was returned with a clenched jaw. With an offer of his arm, he waited for her to take it and then led her back to where their carriage waited. He did not mention the type of hunger that was stirred, but he had faith that he would have the opportunity to once again satisfy that need. Now, however, he wished only to focus on his wife regaining her memory and coming back to him, whole once more.

  ***

  Andrew reread the letter on his desk. He would have to leave next week to meet with a business associate in Crookhorn, which would require him to be away overnight. Although he would have preferred to stay and concentrate all his efforts on helping Lucy, he had been ignoring his business obligations and they would soon be destitute if he did not apply some of his time to what needed to be completed.

  A knock came to the door and Andrew called for the person to enter. He glanced up when Lucy entered and had to restrain himself from standing. If he was to be the person he used to be, then he would remain seated in her presence. It took great restraint to suppress a smile when she placed a hand on her hip when he lifted a finger and said, “One moment please,” before returning his gaze to his ledger.

  Though he could not see her reaction, he could almost feel it as anger rolled off her in waves. Deciding he did not want to upset her too much, he closed the ledger and then leaned back in his chair. “Please, you may enter my study,” he said as he indicated a chair in front of the desk. He still had not risen from his.

  She glared at him as she stomped into the room so quickly he considered for a moment that she might not stop until she trampled him. However, she stopped and took the chair nonetheless. “I have been thinking about our…lovely outing earlier today,” she said, clearly not considering their visit to town anywhere near lovely. “Quite a bit, in fact.”

  “Well, I am glad you enjoyed it.”

  “But of course I did,” she replied, her voice now calmer and more docile than it was when she entered. “Your idea of visiting places we had gone while we were courting was wonderful—absolutely ingenious, in fact.” Perhaps it was his reckless disregard and his rudeness she found irritating and not what had happened while they were out. What Andrew did know was the he was pleased she had enjoyed the outing. If it helped her in any way, it was well worth the trouble.

  “That is good to hear,” he said. “We have many places to visit and things to see. I am certain you will find all of it as exciting as it was today.”

  “I have no doubt we will,” she said. “However, there is a slight problem, my husband.” The manner in which she addressed him lacked the tone of a woman in love, and his mind began to race as it attempted to unravel her meaning before he was caught in her web. She was up to something, and he did not enjoy surprises.

  He sat up in his chair and leaned against the desk. “I see,” he replied in a bored tone. “And what is that?”

  She twirled a ribbon that hung down the front of her dress with her finger. “Well, I certainly cannot be seen in public alone with a man when I feel unwed, even if he is a Duke. Sadly, Charlotte is no longer available to be my chaperon.” She let out a theatrical sigh. “Therefore, it is with deep regret that we will no longer be able to court.” She stood to punctuate her statement and turned to leave, but not before Andrew caught the twinkle in her eye.

  Andrew hid his shock. The cunning woman had caught him off-guard using his own plans against him. Part of him wished to congratulate her, but another part quickly tried to create an alternative plan. Then one came to mind. “Do you not want to bring back those missing memories?” he asked.

  She halted at the door and slowly turned back to face him. “I do wish to remember,” she said, her back straight and her chin jutting out just as he remembered her eighteen months ago. “What I do not wish is to be seen in public without proper escort. I have considered all of my friends who could take Charlotte’s place as a companion, but they are all now married and have their own families. I cannot expect them to play in this little game you have devised.”

  Andrew studied her. She wore a mask of haughtiness that hid her anger and frustration, and he only wished he could take all that away for her. However, there was little more he could do.

  Then a blur moved behind her and inspiration came to him. “Hannah,” he called out.

  A moment later, Hannah entered the room and gave a quick curtsy. “Yes, Your Grace?”

  “Hannah, I will no longer be requiring your services as a maid.” The quiver of her lip and her shocked expression saddened him, but it needed to be done.

  “Andrew!” Lucy gasped. “Why would you ever discharge her? Her skills are excellent, she never complains, and is a joy to the otherwise dull house.”

  “I do not wish to hear it,” Andrew scoffed. “You hardly know this woman; why would you care?”

  “I will have you know that she i
s my friend,” Lucy stated. “I do not wish to see her dismissed.”

  “Your…friend?”

  Lucy gave a firm nod. “Yes, she is my friend.”

  “Very well, then,” Andrew replied as he walked around the desk and over to Hannah. “Hannah, my wife deems you her friend; therefore, I offer you the position of companion to the Duchess. Not only will you see a pay increase, you will have a new wardrobe for this position. You will accompany my wife wherever she goes, which includes,” —he gave Lucy a pointed look— “any outings she and I take together. Do you accept?”

  “Yes, Your Grace!” Hannah replied with clear excitement. “Thank you!” Her face beamed and her smile was wide, which Andrew was glad to see.

  Lucy, however, did not seem as happy as her new companion. Instead, she stood with her jaw clenched and her arms crossed. Andrew gave her a smile and a wink, which only made her face redden even more than it already had been.

  “That is settled, then,” Andrew said happily. “We will dine together at five tomorrow night, and I expect punctuality. Hannah, you will join us.”

  “I?” Hannah said with a gasp as she grasped the sides of her maid’s dress. “I have nothing to wear for dinner.”

  Andrew shot Lucy a small smile. “I am sure your new friend will have something you can borrow until you are able to purchase something more appropriate.” When Lucy said nothing, Andrew gave her the smallest of nods and then he returned to his desk and his ledger. Although he did not see them leave, he heard the sounds of each of their skirts rustling and the distinct sound of one set of angry footsteps making their way down the hallway. Though he was pleased to have won this battle today, he worried about the war that he was certain would come in the future. He only hoped her memory would return before such atrocities took place.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The sting of the evening before still pained Lucy as she let out a heavy sigh, hoping to gain sympathy from Hannah, who was currently brushing her hair. She found herself still unable to believe how the rogue had tricked her by moving Hannah into the position of companion, giving them an ever-ready chaperon. She should not have been so surprised; the excuse she had given him had been weak at best, but it was the best she could provide. Perhaps her memory loss had made her mind duller, for she had never been one to not produce the best of plans and excuses. Yes, he had won the night previous, but he would learn that, in time, she would win. Not only would she regain her memory, she would find out the madness which drove her to marry him.